NaPoWriMo Prompt – Our optional prompt for the day also honors the idea of Saturday (the Saturdays of the soul, perhaps?), by challenging you to write an ode to life’s small pleasures. Perhaps it’s the first sip of your morning coffee. Or finding some money in the pockets of an old jacket. Discovering a bird’s nest in a lilac bush or just looking up at the sky and watching the clouds go by.

Good morning and welcome to day eighteen of napowrimo where my ode to the rosebush looks suspiciously like a haiku with a borrowed line no less. Here is the link to read Robert Frost’s poem. I grabbed the link from poets.org as they are running a shelter in poems series, asking readers to share poems they are reflecting on while we are sheltering in place. My favorite Frost poem, A question, doesn’t seem to be in their archives. I used it on a previous napowrimo for a golden shovel.

Yesterday we ventured outside headed off to the mailbox. Robin’s reading care package from Changing Hands Bookstore seems to be MIA. As we walked down the sidewalk, Robin was hit in the face by a flying object and exclaimed, What was that? Gretchen responded, I think it was a petal from the rosebush. They’re all over the sidewalk. Yes, it was pretty windy yesterday and rose petals were dropping off and flying away. On top of being hit in the face there was no book in the mailbox. 😦 Maybe today will be a good mail day.

NaPoWriMo Prompt – Our prompt for the day (optional, as always), asks you to move backwards in time away from such modern contrivances as podcasts. Today, I challenge you to write a poem that features forgotten technology. Maybe it’s a VCR, or a rotary phone. A cassette player or even a radio. If you’re looking for a potential example, check out this poem by Adam Clay, which takes its central metaphor from something that used to stoke fear in the hearts of kids typing term papers, or just trying to play a game of Oregon Trail.

Many moons ago, my mother gathered up all the old 8 millimeter movies my dad made (mostly of Christmases) and had them transferred to VHS tape. The guy that did it, set the movies to music except the Vietnam footage. He said adding music didn’t seem appropriate. My mom had copies of the tape made for all four children. Mine pretty much sat in the closet until Gretchen was readingInside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai in eighth grade. I pulled the tape out; yes, we stilled had a working VCR and I recorded it to digital so she could share it with her class.

Speaking of technology, I was just enlisted to call my hubby’s phone. We are so dependent on modern day technology, we’re lost without. He is off in search of groceries and the shopping list is on the phone.

Good morning readers and welcome to day seventeen of napowrimo also known as haiku day because of seventeen for the 17 syllables in haiku. Please excuse the interruption of today’s prompt. I will get to it later. But first I wanted to share this Pea TV Moment Patricia over at poetrypeawas kind enough to accept. She has compiled quite a few haiku moments from some talented poets. Please go over to her website and check them all out.

I must make a confession. I have spied the hummingbirds feeding on the aloe often. I wrote the haiku, hoping I would be able to capture one moment on video. I should know better as the photos of the hummingbirds at the aloe I’ve posted have been borrowed from my children. Well a few weeks ago, we were sitting at the kitchen table for dinner. My whole family was aware of my quest, and we spotted a hummingbird skimming the aloe. The first attempt did not get enough footage. But a few minutes later a hummingbird was back, Gretchen said, give me your phone, Mom. So Gretchen was actually the one who successfully filmed the hummingbird. She just showed me another video she took last night on her phone. A hummingbird was actually sitting and resting on one of the aloe stalks. She said it must have been there for a good ten minutes because when she first spotted it, she didn’t have her phone. She raced down the hall to her bedroom, grabbed her phone, and the hummingbird was still on its perch.

March and April are always a good time of year to watch the hummingbirds feed. As you can see, the aloe really enjoyed our wet winter; they bloomed exceptionally well this year. Farther down the row of aloe closer to the front yard is where the rosebush is planted. It now has over a dozen buds in bloom. Shawn and I went for a walk yesterday and he said the rosebush really seems to flourish in death. Good grief. But he does have a point. If our rosebush had 3 or 4 buds in a year (at separate times) I thought it was nice. It really has taken off this spring for some reason.

NaPoWriMo Prompt– Nonetheless, our optional prompt for today (developed by Rachel McKibbens, who is well-known for her imaginative and inspiring prompts) plays on the idea of stealing. Today, I challenge you to write a non-apology for the things you’ve stolen. Maybe it’s something as small as your sister’s hairbrush (or maybe it was your sister’s boyfriend!) Regardless, I hope this sly prompt generates some provocative verse for you.

Good morning readers and welcome to day thirteen of NaPoWriMo. I’ll admit a non-apology poem had me a little flummoxed. To take a quote from my husband, who may have picked it up from someone else 😉 –Borrowed… borrowed without permission, but with every intention of bringing it back. Captain Jack Sparrow

I am very good at borrowing things from my husband. Quite recently a rose off of his rosebush and on April 7th a pair of pliers to unplug the kitchen sink. Of course the pliers were brought back as for the rose… I do believe turn about is fair play. If he ever returns what he took from me all those years ago, I may have to find a way to return the rose. But I’m not too worried about it.

NaPoWriMo Prompt– For today, I challenge you to write a poem in which one or more flowers take on specific meanings. And if you’re having trouble getting started, why not take a gander at this glossary of flower meanings? (You can find a plain-text version here). Feel free to make use of these existing meanings, or make up your own.

Good morning and welcome to day eleven of NaPoWriMo where I have found inspiration in our rose bush. I have taken pictures of the roses before; I love when the buds are in bloom. This year it has really flourished. Early this week when I went out to check the mail, I decided I wanted to snatch a bud to adorn my table. My kitchen table is a mess right now, so I snapped the photo in front of my bedroom window.

Yes, I deflowered my husband’s rosebush. 😉 Turn about’s fair play, right? Not to worry, the bush has over half a dozen buds this year, as I said, it has really flourished this spring. I hope everyone enjoys their Easter weekend and has the chance to go out and smell the roses.

So far I have not written too many new poems in 2019. I’m slowing up too early in the year, but back in February I did write a “sportku” for the poetry pea podcast (look at my only February entry for the link to listen) and I wrote a couple for the Arizona Matsuri Haiku contest. The festival was the last weekend in February; it seems even they are running a little slow this year because I just got the link to this year’s ebook today. And I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my haiku made honorable mention again this year. After I submitted the haiku they included on page 58, I recounted my syllables – oops… I didn’t think the haiku would be chosen. I put eight syllables in the second line, but maybe due to the fact it’s 17 total syllables and English and Japanese syllables aren’t equivalent, it works. My haiku in the 2018 ebook.

At least we did get a refund but it was significantly smaller than previous years; still better than owing. My return to work paperwork was accepted so now I’m just waiting for the invite to grade essays. Then my afternoons will be busy reading though it hasn’t impeded my poetry writing before this year I just seemed to have lost momentum.

So the girls and I sat down for dinner and I began playing the Haiku ChroniclePodcast. The girls questioned my listening preference and I told them it’s poetry. Then Patricia said; Hello, Veronica as if we were sitting in the same room having a conversation. After that both my children were more interested in actually listening to the podcast. Of course neither one of them understood my Sylvia Plath inspired senryu. Rachael didn’t even realize I pulled the quote for her birthday back in May.

“I’m dead?”

You were the one telling me you felt twenty was old so when I came across the quote by Plath, I had to share it with you. I did post the full quote on her FaceBook page, but who reads their own wall. 😉 Then we had to watch the KFC/Game of Thrones commercial my cousin Russell posted on my wall as a comment. Why? Because I posted, When your child comes home reeking of chicken, I told her she had a weird job. No, we did not have chicken for dinner. Didn’t think it would be right to feed her chicken after she euthanized them for necropsy at work today.

Good evening! It is 7pm Monday June 4th as I write this and the girls and I just finished dinner. It was slightly delayed tonight as I had to call the AC company after Rachael noticed an alert on the thermostat around 4:30 and it was not cooling; it was 85 in the house. The AC tech was here before 5 and we were cooling by 5:30 after the indoor temperature hit 87. But the AC tech was awesome!

Also happening today, another one of my haiku was featured on the Haiku ChroniclePodcast over at Poetry Pea. Patricia spoke about the contrast in my haiku between the joy of vacation versus the drudgery of day to day life. Perfect day for our AC unit to take a dump. 😉 On the plus side, Shawn’s MRI turned out to be normal other than a sinus infection. Rachael and I went out to CVS this afternoon to pick up his antibiotics; then we went to Kohl’s and I got a dress for the wedding at the end of the month. After that we hit Famous Footwear for new shoes. When we came home, I thought the house felt a little warm, but figured it was because we were out in the heat. Nope the AC unit took a nap while we were out. But it took a couple hours before someone (and it was Rachael) went to the thermostat because she thought it was too warm in the house.

Finally! Spring break
alarm turned off the whole week
will be back too soon

I wrote this poem yesterday for the #haikuchallenge word (back), and my children have flipped their spring breaks. Rachael went back to ASU this morning and Gretchen is still asleep at 11am this Monday. It was nice not being woken up by my alarm clock this morning, especially after our busy weekend.

Friday we had three companies come in to give us estimates on a new AC unit. Rachael had a dentist appointment and then we picked Gretchen up early from school because she didn’t want to attend the assembly. We had Subway for dinner so no cooking for me. Then Saturday Gretchen had her Eng 102 class and Shawn and I went over to get our taxes done. Afterwards as we were pulling into the driveway, we noticed the girls getting out of the car. Apparently Gretchen’s class ended early and Rachael went over to pick her up. Sunday both Rachael and Gretchen got up early to go into 4 paws. Then when they got home, we went over to get haircuts.

Today despite sleeping in, I’ve put a nice dent in the housework; dishes, vacuuming and laundry started. Tonight Shawn and I have to go over the AC estimates and figure out who we want to go with. I’d like to get it done before I start my remote reading again (plus would be good to have a new AC before the desert really turns up the heat).

Since I blogged on Thursday last week, I haven’t sent off any new submissions was a little busy with the non writing part of life. A few weeks ago Bekah and Shannon Steimel interviewed me as part of the poet blogrevival. They posted the interview yesterday. Please go over and check it out and the other great interviews they have done with poets as part of the revival. They will continue the interviews throughout the year so keep an eye on their blog.

This morning Patricia over at Poetry Pea shared ahaiku I submitted to her. Yes, we do get snow in thedesert. Actually just looked this up, because I knew the outskirts of the valley has gotten snow. I didn’t realize there have been measurable amounts at Sky Harbor. It was just back in February of 2013 Salt River Fields where the DBacks hold spring training had a snow day. This year it’s been pretty dry and relatively warm so no snow. Remember when I posted I wanted my heat back a few weeks ago? I thought it was good to go. I was in the backyard yesterday soaking up the warmth and today through Wednesday highs will be in the 80s. But then we’re suppose to slide back down to highs only in the 60s again. Brrr…

Well my dryer just buzzed and Rachael sent me something she wants edited, so I have to get back to work. Wonder if Gretchen will get up before noon.

In my last post I wrote about dreaming about spring break and how Rachael is on spring break this week, which has made for a slightly chaotic week. Sunday we had Shawn’s mom over for dinner to celebrate Shawn’s birthday. I thought we would go out, but he wanted to have a cook out. It was a nice meal – steak pinwheels (stuffed with cheese and spinach), scalloped potatoes and green beans. Shawn made a coffee cake and Kathy made a pineapple upside down cake so we had plenty for dessert. Monday I spent the day cleaning from all the cooking that occurred on Sunday. Tuesday Rachael and I did the grocery shopping and yesterday Gretchen had the SAT; she feels like she screwed it up. Then after the test, she broke her glasses. We had to pick her up from school and drive over to the eye doctor. Yes, they are truly broken and we had to order new frames.

Today I just want to sit and veg – tomorrow we have a few AC companies coming over to give us estimates on a new unit and Saturday is tax day – fun wow. When I logged on to WordPress this morning I saw international women’s day is celebrating withhaiku. I’ve been reading some great haiku this morning. Thanks!

On twitter I’ve been going back and forth with a #haikuchain. Dawson @dathaikufool left off with:

The last line becomes the next person’s first line and I know it’s women’s history month plus today is international women’s day, so when I saw the #haikuchallenge word today is still, of course I had to have some fun.

Boldly goes A.I.
humans face termination
Sarah still persists

Yes, we are having fun with science fiction. If you want to read some true haiku/senryu check out the Inner Voices link above. Enjoy reading poetry by women this month. On my own poetry front, I got three rejections this week 😦 but I’ve sent more submissions out as well.